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Dietary sodium citrate supplementation does not improve upper-body anaerobic performance in trained wrestlers in simulated competition-day conditions

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European Journal of Applied Physiology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

Similarly to a wrestling match, upper-body intermittent sprint performance (UBISP) test elicits severe acidosis. This study aimed to determine whether sodium citrate (CIT) ingestion would help to better maintain peak power (PP) and mean power (MP) output across four consecutive UBISP tests simulating wrestling matches of a competition-day.

Methods

In a double-blind, counterbalanced, crossover manner, 11 trained wrestlers ingested either placebo (PLC) or CIT (900 mg kg−1) within a 17-h supplementation period. Thereafter they completed four (T1–T4) 6-min UBISP tests interspersed with 30-min recovery periods.

Results

Compared with PLC, CIT supplementation resulted in a persistent increase (P < 0.05) in blood HCO3 − concentration and pH: pre-T1 25.6 % and 0.08 units, post-T4 39.1 % and 0.14 units, respectively. Post-T1 blood lactate concentration in CIT (16.1 ± 3.8 mmol L−1) was higher (P = 0.037) than that in PLC (13.7 ± 2.3 mmol L−1). Decrease in plasma volume across the supplementation period and UBISP tests was greater (P = 0.03) in PLC (−6.91 ± 4.37 %) than in CIT (−1.51 ± 4.34 %). There was an overall decrease (P = 0.028) in ratings of perceived exertion in CIT compared with PLC, but no between-trial difference (P > 0.05) in PP or MP in any UBISP test occurred.

Conclusion

In trained wrestlers, CIT ingestion induces alkalosis, counteracts reduction in plasma volume, increases post-test blood lactate concentration and reduces perceived exertion, but does not improve PP or MP attained in consecutive UBISP tests simulating four wrestling matches of a competition-day.

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Abbreviations

BE:

Base excess

CIT:

Sodium citrate

GID:

Gastrointestinal distress

MP:

Mean power

PLC:

Placebo

Post-Ex:

After exercise

PP:

Peak power

Pre-Ex:

Before exercise

RPE:

Rating of perceived exertion

RPF:

Rating of perceived fatigue

UBISP:

Upper-body intermittent sprint performance

UOSM:

Urine osmolality

USG:

Urine specific gravity

VO2peak:

Peak oxygen consumption

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Acknowledgments

The study was supported by institutional research funding IUT 20-58 of the Estonian Ministry of Education and Research. The authors are sincerely grateful to the athletes who participated in the experiments and to Prof. Hannu Rintamäki for a valuable methodological help in the process of preparation of the study.

Conflict of interest

The authors of this article do not have any conflict of interests.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Estonian Centre of Behavioural and Health Sciences, Institute of Exercise Biology and Physiotherapy, University of Tartu, 18 Ülikooli St, 50090, Tartu, Estonia

    Martin Aedma, Saima Timpmann & Vahur Ööpik

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  1. Martin Aedma
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  2. Saima Timpmann
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  3. Vahur Ööpik
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Correspondence to Vahur Ööpik.

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Communicated by Michael Lindinger.

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Aedma, M., Timpmann, S. & Ööpik, V. Dietary sodium citrate supplementation does not improve upper-body anaerobic performance in trained wrestlers in simulated competition-day conditions. Eur J Appl Physiol 115, 387–396 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-014-3025-4

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